Alexa Will Soon Control Connected Microwaves

According to CNBC, Amazon "has been in talks with several companies about letting them promote products on the best-selling Echo devices, which are powered by the Alexa voice assistant, according to several people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the discussions are private".

If you own a smart microwave or oven, you might soon be able to control it with Alexa.

Now Amazon is making strides to expand that trend beyond lights, door locks and televisions, and into the kitchen.

The tech giant has announced it is adding cooking capabilities to its Smart Home Skill API - the programming tools that make it possible to connect Alexa with internet-connected devices.

Specifically, when you need to have something heated in the microwave or oven in the future, you could simply say, "Alexa, heat this on high for one minute". Users can leverage these interfaces today for microwaves and for appliances that support preset cooking.

Whirlpool has signed on to launch an Alexa-ready microwave that will be the first to the market. Amazon has a handful of partners on board, but it isn't clear just how quickly support will roll out. The skill enables customers to easily configure, start, and operate their connected Whirlpool microwaves. A number of other big-name manufactures, including GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG, and Samsung are also planning to add Alexa to their ovens and other appliances.

Additionally, Amazon has also announced that Alexa Fund, the company's venture capital arm, has invested in June Life, makers of the June Oven, a countertop smart oven that makes cooking easier, faster, and tastier.

The catch, as you might imagine, is that your ovens and microwaves need to support this feature, and nearly all "smart" versions now don't. Do let us know in the comments.

Related Articles

Iranian oil industry and shipping sources said protests have had no impact on oil production or exports so far. If the figure is not revised next month, it would be the highest monthly level since May 1971.

While there is some variation in the forecast, analysts said the country's GDP growth may register up to 6.9 percent for 2017. The Caixin PMI focuses more on light industry, while heavy industry makes up a larger share of the NBS survey.

Martin has seen another of his books, Nightflyers, given the greenlight by Syfy in the United States and Netflix internationally. Showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss announced in 2016 it would finish with 13 episodes spread over a final two seasons.

Overall, Wixen alleges, more than 6 million of Spotify's songs are improperly licensed, representing about a fifth of its catalog. A recent proposed settlement involving rights holders and Spotify in the class action lawsuit Ferrick et al. v.

This small-scale acquisition comes just weeks after Apple confirmed it was buying London-based music discovery outfit Shazam . It should also be noted that the startup will working on the Android app development that it had started last February.

Two other tickets won a $1 million prize in this drawing; these were sold in New Hampshire and New Jersey. There were no jackpot winners Saturday night, pushing the next jackpot an estimated $440 million.

Indianapolis tied the record for the coldest New Year's Eve and was one degree off the mark for New Year's Day . There's the potential for absolutely nothing to some snow showers, or even a period of light snow east.

Senator Orrin Hatch Announces Plan to Retire
Hatch also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and was at the center of numerous biggest confirmation battles. Former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been considering a 2018 run for his seat.

Health Officials Say Residents Should Consider Flu Shot
And, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes, infants under the age of 6 months should also pass on the shot. People concerned about flu-like symptoms should stay at home and contact their GP, or call NHS 111, to seek further advice.

Fog disrupts flights in Delhi
The day's average air quality index (AQI) was at 400, classified as "very poor" by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Yesterday, the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 22.6 and 7.2 degrees Celsius respectively.

LG develops 88-inch 8K OLED display
The entertainment industry is just catching up with support for 4K and will take a bit longer to rally behind 8K at this rate. OLED panels can easily overcome this issue as OLEDs are self-emissive and require much less power than backlit LCD panels.

First look for Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film revealed!
The star of the film Shah Rukh Khan is going through a miserable phase commercially with his last one being a total washout. The teaser sees Shah Rukh Khan as a dwarf dancing like a maniac on an iconic Shashi Kapoor number.

Activist Erica Garner Dies After Suffering Heart Attack
A person identified only as one of Erica's workers was posting updates on her Twitter account throughout the week. Garner also spoke in a 2016 presidential campaign advertisement. "My thoughts are with Erica Garner ", he said.